Magazine-gun



3 Sheets-Sheet 1. C. S. EVANS. MAGAZINE GUN.

(No Modell) 7 MA as E Patented Sept. 26, 1893.

C'wkhYEI/mw 3 b e e h S w e e h s 3 SN NW B N m SG .A CM m d 0 M o w No. 505,757. Patented Sept. 26, 1893.

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Ill I'll l ll UNITED STATES PATENT EErcE.

CALEB S. EVANS, OF UNION CITY, INDIANA.

MAGAZINE-GUN.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 505,757, dated September 26, 1893.

Application filed March 28,1893. Serial No. 467,997. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CALEB S. EVANS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Union City, in the county of Randolph and State of Indiana, have invented a new and useful Magazine-Gun, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to'improvements in guns; the objects in view being to provide a gun of the combination class, that is, one adapted to be used either as ashot-gun or as a rifle; as a repeating shot-gun or as a repeating rifle, or as a simple breech-loading shotgun or rifle, and to accomplish the construction of such a gun in a simple and convenient manner and with the employment of comparatively few parts.

With these main objects in view, the invention consists in certain features of construction hereinafter specified and particularly pointed out in the claims.

Referring to the drawings:Figure 1 is a perspective view of a gun constructed in accordance with myinvention. Fig. 2 is a bottom perspective. Fig. 3 is a longitudinal sectional view through one of the magazines and receiver, the carriers, check-lever and check-bar being shown in side elevation. Fig. 4 is a similar view through the center of the gun. Fig. 5 is a view similar to Fig. 3, the gun being adapted for use as an ordinary breech-loader and not as a repeater.v Fig. 6 is a transverse sectional View throughone of the carriers, the clamping-levers thereof being viewed in side elevation. Fig. 7 is a detail in perspective of one of the carriers. Fig. 8 is a detail in perspective of one of the check-levers and its check-pawl. Fig. 9 is a bottom plan view of the gun, the bottom plate of the receiver being removed. Fig. 10 is a detail in perspective of the bell-crank tumbler. Fig. 11 is a longitudinal sectional View through or between the gun-barrels. Fig. 12 is a transverse sectional view of the same.

Like numerals of reference indicate like parts in all the figures of the drawings.

1 designates the stock, 2 the receiver, 3 and 4 the shot-gun and rifle-magazines, respectively, and 5 and 6 the shot-gun barrel and rifle barrel, respectively, the latter being located directly above their respective magazines, as is usual. The receiver ata point in front of its breech-block 7 has its upper and lower sides open, the latter being covered by a removable bottom-plate 8 held in place by suitable screws. The breech-block 7 has secured upon its upper side a tang 10, the same overlapping the grip of the stock and being secured thereto by means of a screw. Firingpins 11 are located in the breech-block, and in rear of the same and adapted to operate said pins are the two hammers 12. These hammere 12 have projecting therefrom depending tumblers 13 whose lower ends are inwardly bent and lie end to end within the gun-lock. Connecting the underside of the receiver with the gun-stock is the triggenplate 14, in which are pivoted the two hammer-operating triggers 15 of the usual construction. The plate 14 has its front end widened and secured by screws to the under side of the receiver directly in rear of the removable plate 8, and is provided with a pair of openings 16 in ad- Vance of and between which there is pivoted as at 17 a slide or button 18, the function of the same being hereinafter apparent.

The receiver is divided longitudinally by means of a longitudinally-disposed partition or wall 19, the same extending considerably beyond the end of the receiver proper as at 20. An opening 21 divides the partition transversely between the front end of the receiver and the breech-block. This extension is provided with a central longitudinal slot 22, which extends vertically through the same and each side of its upper edge is bounded by an under-cut or dovetail rib 23. The opposite sides of the extension 20 are concaved and concentrically curved with relation to the openings formed in the front end of the receiver, and in these openings and concavities are seated the magazines 3 and 4 heretofore mentioned. The magazines are of the ordinary pattern, being provided each with a coiled spring 24 and a follower 25 which operating behind the line of cartridges serve to press the same toward the rear ends of the magazine, and when said line is not checked or obstructed to discharge the cartridges or shells as the case may beinto the receiver, in

which is contained the carrier mechanism hereinafter described.

The upper side of the receiver is concaved to'conform to the contour of the two barrels and 6, which barrels are designed to slide upon the receiver and its extension 20. The

inner central portions of the barrels are some bolt 28 mountedin the breech-block and un-v der the control of a bell-crank trigger 29 pivoted in the trigger-plate 14, so that as will be obvious, by a retraction of the trigger the bolt is depressed or withdrawn 'from its engagement with thecatch and the barrels may I he slid forward upon the extension of the receiver so as to uncover the upper opening in said receiver.

In order to adapt the bar- 'rels for this sliding movement of the same are provided upon the under side of their web portion with a dovetail recess 30, which 'receives the dovetail ribs 23 upon the upper side 7 in the bottom of the recess 30 and project 5 of the extension. Studs 31 and 32am secured down through theslot22 in the extension 20,

andwbelow'said extension, at which points they project through mortise-bpenings 33 formedzin a concave-convex handorgrip-plate 1 engageand slide thereupon.

34 which is located upon the under side of the magazines and is of such form as to loosely With eachreciprocation of the griprplate similarmovements arecaused upon the part of the barrels in the manner heretofore described;

In suitable recesses formedin the under side of the receiver and the stock of the gun and communicating with the lock mechanism of the stock there is mounted for reciprocation a tumbler-rod 35, the rear end of which is upwardly bent forming an engaging shoulder 86 which takes in rear or behind thetwo depending L-shaped tumblers of the hammers. The front end of the rod is provided with a longitudinal slot 37 through which passes the rear depending stud 32 of the barrels, said stud immediately above its lower end being provided with a notch 38. By this it will be seen that each forward movement of the grip-plate after the same has moved a certain distance, and the stud reaching the end of the slot 37 in the tumbler-rod 35, a cooking of the hammers will be caused. Of course if the grip-plate is not moving beyond the limit of the slot the tumbler-rod will not be operated or reciprocated, and hence no-cocking will occur. Thisis mentioned, in that the same will illustrate the manner of using the gun either asacontinuous repeater or as asingle-shotbreech-loader with or Without automatic cocking mechanism,all as will hereinafter appear. Any means may be provided for securing the studs 31 and 32 to the grip-plate, and in the present instance small disks39 located upon the under side of the grip-plate are perforated and have passed therethrough and into the studs, screws 40.

An arboror shaft 41 passes through the longitudinal partition 19 ofthe receiver near the lower side of the latter and immediately in rear of the transverse recess therein, and upon this arbor orshaft ateach side of they partition there is pivotally mounted an inner checkingdever 42 and an outer checkingpawl 43. Each checking-lever 42 at itsfrontv end is provided with an upwardly-disposed shoulder44 which is rounded at its extremity and is designed to take into the pathzof the line of cartridges in that magazine in rear or which it is located so as, to block the egress of said cartridges. Therear end of each lever is provided with, an eib0w'45, which:

passes intoa recess 46 formedin the under side of the breech-block and is borne upon by a light coiled spring 47 which is interposed between said rearend and the upper side or bottom of the recess46; The under side of eachelbow of the lever is provided with a depending push-stud, that of the lever controllingthe line of cartridges in theishot-gun mag- 1 azine being designated as 48 and that con- :trollingthe line of cartridges in therifle-magazine being indicated as 49,:t'he said push' studs' depending throughthe openings 16 heretofore mentioned as being formed in the front portion of the triggerrplate'. By reason of the fact that the rear ends of these levers are normally depressed, itwill beseen that their front ends when not otherwise influenced are normally elevated into the path of the line of. cartridges. 1 If, however, it is desired to reton 18 under that stud which depends from that lever. The check-pawls are shorter than the check-levers, in fact are of such length as to loosely fit within the carrier wells or openings of the receiver. Flat springs 50 are secured to the check-pawls in rear of the arbor or shaft 41 upon which they are pivoted, and resting against the studs or pins 51 projecting from the partition 19 of the receiver, serve to normally depress the rear ends of the check-pawls and elevate their front ends into the path of the line of cartridges in rear of the stop-shoulder of the check-lever, so that when the check-levers are withdrawn from the line of cartridges the check-pawls remain and serve as a checking medium until they are depressed, such depression being secured through the descent of the carriers which I will now proceed to explain.

54 designates the carriers the same being of somewhat spoon-shape that is of concavoconvex form in cross-section and provided at their front ends with depending lips 55. A carrier is mounted in each space formed by the partition and side-walls of the receiver and therefore immediately in rear of each magazine. Each carrier is provided at its rear end with a shank 56, and the same takes into a mortise or opening 57 formed in the face of the breech-block below the firing-pins. Flat springs 58 are secured at their front ends I00v move either. of said levers from theirposition I in rearof the line of cartridges this may be accomplished by swinging the swiveled but- A ments of the latter.

to the under sides of the carriers and diverge therefrom, said springs resting at their rear ends upon the bottoms of recesses 57. The under sides of the carriers have bearing eyes 60, that of one carrier being located transversely opposite that of the other, and in said bearing-eyes there is located a transverse shaft 61.

Upon a pintle 62 located in the slot 22 of the extension 20 of the receiver is a threepronged bell-crank tumbler or lever, the same consisting of the rear prong 63, the central prong 64:, and the front prong 65, the first mentioned prong being of sufficient length to eX- tend in rear of the extension 20 and into the recess 21 where it is loosely connected with the transverse shaft 61 upon the under sides of the carriers. The remaining branches or prongs 64 and 65 of this tumbler are located in the slot 22, and the tumbler being adapted to rock upon its pivot and thus cause an elevation and depression of the carriers. It will be obvious that first one member or prong 64 or 65 will be elevated and the remaining member or prong depressed, and vice versa. Such operation or rocking of the tumbler is caused by a transverse bridge piece 66 with which a groove 67 formed in the bottom of the recess 30 in rear of the stud 32 is provided. It will be seen that as the barrels move forward the bridge-piece operating upon the front member or prong 65 depresses the same into the slot22, thus elevating the intermediate member 64 and the rear member 63, and with the latter the carriers from points in rear of the magazines to points on a level with the gun barrels. A reverse movement or retraction of the barrels pauses the bridge-piece 66 to come against and depress the intermediate prong 64, thus elevating the front prong and depressing the rear prong 63, and with it the carriers to points in rear of the magazine, where they are in position to receive cartridges to be subsequently elevated, in the manner before described, to the barrels.

In order to steady the carriers in their movements an L-shaped flat spring 68 is secured upon the under side of the partition 19, projects around and in front of the same to the upper end of the partition, where its extremity is slightly bent. This spring has a tendency to slightly deviate or diverge from the vertical face or extremity of the partition, and is ridden upon by the inner rounded end of the prong or member 63 during the move- In order to hold or in a manner lock in a yielding way the carriers in their lowered positions, the spring is provided near its lower end with a mortiseopening 69 into which the rounded rear end of the prong or member 63 of the rocking tumbler may engage. The opposite sides of the carriers are provided with transversely opposite cut-out portions or recesses 70, and upon their under sides in front of the recesses they are provided with superficial ribs 71. To each rib there is pivoted a bell-crank shaped clampinglever 72 by means of pivots 73, the lower branches of the levers being beveled and adapted to enter between pairs of flanges 74 which rise from the sides of openings 75 formed in the plate 8 upon the bottom of the receiver, so that as will be obvious the said levers will be compressed toward each other when lowered by operating against or between said flanges, and when elevated beyond the influence of the flanges will be spread by light springs 76 which areinterposed between the lower branches of each of the aforesaid levers. Each lever upon its upper end is provided with a curved clamping-plate, so that when the levers are closed at their lower ends they are open at their upper ends and the clamping-plates carried thereby will release the cartridge or shell, and, on the other hand, when not influenced except by their springs, the lower ends of the levers will be spread and the clamping-plates forced together and embrace any cartridge or shell that may lie therebetween and be supported by the carriers. It will thus be seen that the cartridges are loosely received upon the carriers when the latter are lowered, but when elevated suddenly they are prevented from being thrown from their position by the clamping-plates taking thereover and are thus held accurately in line with the breeches of the barrels, so that when the latter are slid to the rear the cartridges or shells readily pass into the same.

78 designates upper and lower extractors which are located upon the upper sides of the,

breech-blocks and project from the face of the same below the firing-pins, the same operating upon the usual plan, that is, engaging with the rim of the shell and of course retaining their hold upon the same when the barrels are forced to the front and hence holding said shells suspended above the carriers. The lower extractor-fingers are not notched like the upper fingers, and hence when the carriers arrive in contact with the undersides of the shells the latter are thrown upward from the receiver.

To use the gun as a continuous repeater and automatic cooker either as a rifle or shot-gun, it is simply necessary to move the swiveled button 18 under the stud of that check-lever which lies in the path of that magazine controlling the cartridges or shells it is desired. to use. If for instance it is desired to use the rifle barrel alone the swiveled button 18 is swung under the stud 49 which elevates the stud and depresses the check-lever so that the line of cartridges press against the end of the check-pawl only. Previous to the adjustment of the swiveled button the stud 49 is pressed upward by the finger so as to let a cartridge move from the magazine to the carrier, it being understood of course that the carrier being lowered the check-pawl will not be in the path of the cartridges in that it is depressed by the shaft or pin 61 connecting said carriers. A cartridge having been received the piece is ready for use as a continuous repeating rifle. After the piece has been once discharged, subsequent to a cocking of the hammer by hand, it may be continuously loaded and fired by a simple forward and backward movement of the grip-plate in a manner heretofore described, in that each movement of the grip-plate will cook the piece through the tumbler rod connection; will operate the three-pronged bell-crank tumbler and thus raise and lower the carriers, which latter at each lowering movement will depress the cheek-pawl and release a cartridge, and at its upward movement will discharge the empty shell and support the unexploded cartridge in line with the barrel so as to insert the same when the barrels are reciprocated. to the rear. In the same manner-the rifle mechanism may be thrown out of operative position and the shot-gun mechanism thrown into operative position, or it will be obvious that both may be simultaneously operated being alternately fired and simultaneously loaded. On the other hand, if it bedesired to retain the store of cartridges and shells in the magazines for future use and to simply employ the piece as a shot-gun or a rifle as the case may be the swiveled button 18 remains idle and the checklevers in their positions to check the line of cartridges, and the grip-plate is simply moved the length of the slot 37 in the reciprocating tumbler-rod so that the latter is not reciprocated and hence no cooking of the hammers takes place or any feeding of cartridges whatever, the cartridges and shells being inserted by hand into the breech of the barrels in the same manner as in an ordinary breech-loader and the empty shells extracted'and discharged therefrom in a manner that will be obvious.

From the foregoing it will be seen that I have provided an extremely convenient gun adapted especially for sporting use and for large and small game, the same consisting of a comparatively few and simply formed and assembled parts not liable to become disarranged and whose operation may be readily understood and theirsimplicity and economy taken advantage of.

I do not limit my invention tothe exact details of construction herein shown and described, but hold that I may vary the same without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages contained therein.

Having described my invention, What I claim is 1. In a magazine-gun, the combination with the stock, longitudinally movable barrel, the intermediate-receiver, and the magazine located under the barrel, of a carrier arranged in the receiver, means for operating the carrier, a grip-plate arranged under the magazine, a hammer having a depending L-shaped tumbler, a reciprocating tumbler-rod located between the magazine and grip-plate and having its rear end provided with a shoulder engaging the tumbler of the hammer, and

connections between the grip-plate and rod, substantially as specified.

2. In a magazine-gun, the combination with the stock, the receiver, the longitudinally movable barrel, and magazine located thereunder, of a grip-plate mounted for reciprocation under the magazine, a carrier arranged in the receiver, a hammer having a depending L-shaped tumbler, and a rod mounted for reciprocation in the receiver, said rod having its rear end provided with a shoulder engaging the tumbler of the hammer and having its front end slotted, and a stud extending from the grip-plate intothe slot, substantially as specified.

3. In a magazine-gun, the combination with the receiver, a stock connected to the rear end thereof, said receiver being provided with a forward extension, a barrel located and adapted to reciprocate upon the receiver-extension, a grip-plate arranged under and connected with the barrel, a hammer arranged in the stock, said hammer having 21. depending tumbler, a carrier and means for operating the same, of a tumbler-operating rod connected with the grip-plate and operated thereby, substantially as specified.

4. In a magazine-gun, the combination with a receiver having a pair of'central dovetailed ways upon its upper side, barrels mounted for reciprocation in the ways, and having the metal therebetween provided with a dovetail groove a grip-plate arranged under the barrels, and independently thereof magazines for the barrels, embraced by the grip-plate and hammers arranged in the stock and provided with depending tumblers, of carriers, means for operating the same and a tumbleroperating rod connected with and operated by the grip-plate, substantially as specified.

5. In a magazine-gun, the combination with a stoclna receiver, a pair of barrels mounted for reciprocation thereon, and magazines arranged below the barrels, of carriers arranged in the receiver, means for operating said carriers and independent grip-plate arranged under the magazines loosely embracing the same and connected with the barrels, harnmers arranged in rear of the receiver and provided with depending tumblers, a tumbler-operating rod connected with the gripplate and adapted to operate the tumblers, cartridge-arresting devices arranged in rear of the magazines, and means for throwing and locking either or both of the same out of operative position, substantially as specified.

6. In a magazine-gun, the combination with a stock, a receiver having a central partition and a front extension, said extension having a slot and from the upper side thereof dovetail ribs, of magazines arranged at opposite sides of the extension, a pair of barrels having an intermediate curved web mountedfor reciprocation on the extension and receiving the ribs, a grip-plate arranged below the magazines, connecting devices between the ICC IIC

barrels and the grip-plate, carriers arranged at opposite sides of the partition in the receiver, means for raising and lowering the carriers, a tumbler-rod operated by the gripplate, hammers arranged in rear of the receiver and having tumblers arranged in the path of the rod, levers pivoted at opposite sides of the partition in the receiver and having their front ends provided with shoulders and their rear ends with depending lugs projecting through the trigger-plate, and springs for normally depressing the rear ends of the levers, substantially as specified.

7. In a magazine-gun, the combination with the receiver, the lock mechanism in rear thereof, a reciprocating barrel arranged upon the receiver, and a magazine below said barrel, of a grip-plate for reciprocating the barrel arranged upon the magazine, a pivoted carrier arranged in the receiver, a threepronged tumbler pivoted below thebarrel, pivotal connections between the rear prong of the tumbler and the carrier, and a projection arranged upon the barrel and adapted to operate alternately against the inner sides of the front two prongs, substantially as specified.

8. In a magazine-gun, the combination with the receiver, the rear lock mechanism, the extension at the front end of the receiver provided with guides, the reciprocating barrels having an intermediate web portion mounted upon the guides, the magazines below the barrels, the grip-plate connected with the barrels, a slot formed in the extension, a three-pronged tumbler pivoted in the slot, connections between the barrels and gripplate, a projection carried by the barrels arranged between and adapted to operate upon the front prongs of the tumbler, of carriers arrangedin the receiver in rear of the magazines, a connecting-rod between the carriers to which the rear prong of the tumbler is loosely connected, and check-pawls pivoted below the carrier-blocks and spring-pressed into the path of the line of cartridges in the magazines, substantially as specified.

9. In a magazine-gun, the combination with the receiver having the opposite compartments, the rear lock mechanism, the front slotted extension having guides, the reciproeating barrels arranged on the guides and provided with lugs extending through the extension, a magazine arranged under each barrel and at opposite sides of the lugs, a gripplate mounted for sliding on the magazine and connected with the lugs, of a pair of pivoted spring-pressed carriers arranged in the compartments of the receiver in rear of the magazines, a transverse rod connecting the same, a three-pronged tumbler pivoted in the slot of the extension and extending into a groove in the web between the barrels, said tumbler being loosely connected to the transverse rod connecting the carriers, a bridgepiece arranged in the groove of the web of the barrels and adapted to operate upon the inner side of the front prongs of the tumbler,

a pair of pivoted check-levers arranged in the receiver in rear of the magazines, said levers having front shoulders, and at their rear ends provided with depending lugs projecting from openings in the receiver, springs for normally depressing the rear ends of the levers, pivoted check-pawls arranged at the sides of the levers but independentthereof, springs for lightly depressing the rear ends of said pawls into the path of the transvss e rod connecting the carriers, and a device for locking either of the levers against the tension of its spring, substantially as specified.

10. In a magazine-gun, the combination with the receiver having the opposite compartments, the rear lock mechanism, the front slotted extension having guides, the reciprocating barrels arranged on the guides and provided with lugs extending through the extension, a magazine arranged under each barrel and at opposite sides of the lugs, a grip-plate mounted for sliding on the magazine and connected with the lugs, of a pair of pivoted spring-pressed carriers arranged in the compartments of the receiver in rear of the magazines, a transverse rod connecting the same, a three-pronged tumbler pivoted in the slot of the extension and extending into a groove in the web between the barrels, said tumbler being loosely connected to the transverse rod connecting the carriers, a bridgepiece arranged in the groove of the web of the barrels and adapted to operate upon the inner side of the front prongs of the tumbler, a pair of pivoted check-levers arranged in the receiver in rear of the magazines, said levers having front shoulders and at their rear ends provided with dependinglugs projecting from openings in the receiver, springs for normally depressing the rear ends of the levers, pivoted check-pawls arranged at the sides of the levers but independent thereof, springs for lightly depressing the rear ends of said pawls into the path of the transverse rod connect ing the carriers, and a pivoted button adapted to be swung under and elevate either one of the depending lugs of the levers, substantially as specified.

11. Ina magazine-gun, the combination with the receiver having the central partition, the flat spring arranged in front of the-end of the partition, the lock mechanism in rear of the receiver, the extension at the front end of the receiver, the reciprocating barrels, magazines below the barrels, the grip -plate mounted for sliding on the magazines and depending from the barrels to and connected with the grip-plates, a tumbler pivoted in a slot in the extension, a projection on the barrels engaging and operating the tumbler, a pair of carriers arranged in the receiver, a rod connecting the same andlooselyconnected with one end of the tumbler and bearing upon the flat spring secured to the receiver partition, and checking devices for the magazines operated by the carrier-blocks, substantially as specified.

12. In amagazine-gun,the combination with the receiver having the central partition, the fiat spring arranged in front of the end of the partition and provided near its lowerend with an opening, the lock mechanism in rear of the receiver, the extension at the front end of the receiver, the reciprocating barrels, magazines below the barrels, the grip-plate mounted for sliding on the magazines and depending from the barrels to and connected with the gripplates, a tumbler pivoted in a slot in the extension, a projection on the barrels engaging and operating the tumbler, a pair of carriers arranged in the receiver, a rod connecting the same and loosely connected with one end of the tumbler and bearing upon the flat spring secured to the receiver partition and adapted to engage the opening, and checking devices for the magazines operated by the carriers, substantially as specified.

13. In a magazine-gun,thecombination with a receiver, the lock mechanism in rear of the same, the barrel and magazine, of an opening formed in the breech-block of the receiver, a carrier having a rearwardly-disposed shank entering the opening, a flat-spring secured to the carrier, diverging therefrom, and at its rear end resting upon the bottom of the opening, means for raising and lowering the carrier, and a checking device for the magazine arranged in the path of and operated by the carrier, substantially as specified.

14:. In a n1agazine-gun,the combination with a receiver, locking mechanism in rear thereof, a barrel and a magazine in front of the receiver, of a pivoted carrier, means for raising and lowering the same, a pair of clampinglevers terminating at their upper ends in clamping-plates and pivoted at opposite sides of and depending below the carrier, devices arranged below the levers and adapted to compress the same when the carrier is lowered, and interposed springs for spreading said levers when the carrier is raised, substantially as specified.

15. In amagazine-gun,the combination with the receiver, the lock mechanism in rear thereof, the barrel, and the magazine thereunder, of a pivoted carrier having its front end provided with a depending curved lip, its under side provided with a rib, and its opposite edges cut away immediately in rear of the rib, bell-crank levers pivoted to the rib and provided at their upper ends with curved clamping-plates, the lower ends of sald levers being beveled, a spring interposed between said lower ends and adapted to normally spread the same, and cam flanges arranged below and adapted to receive and compress the lower ends of the levers, substantially as specified.

16. In a magazine-gun, the combination with the receiver having the opposite ways, and the slotted extension provided with a groove, the lock mechanism in rear of the receiver and comprising hammers having depending L-shaped tumblers, a pair of barrels mounted on the extension and'groove to receive the ways, the magazines arranged under the barrels, the grip'plate mounted on the magazines, and studs depending from the barrels and connected with the grip-plates, of a tumbler-rod mounted under the receiver and having a slot at its front end loosely engaged with the rear stud of the barrels, and its rear end loosely engaging the tumblers, a pair of pivoted spring-pressed carriers arranged in the receiver, the connecting-rod between the same, the three-pronged tumbler pivoted in the slot of the extension and having its rear prong loosely engaging with the rod connecting the carriers, a bridge-piece arranged in a groove between the barrels and adapted to operate upon the front prongs of the tumbler, pivoted ch eck-levers arranged under the carriers and having their rear ends provided with depending studs projecting through holes in the trigger-plate, springs fordepressing said rear ends of the levers and elevating the front ends into the path of the cartridges, means for locking either of the levers out of operative position against its spring, a pair of spring-pressed check-pawls pivoted upon the same shaft as the check-levers and arranged in the path of the rod connecting the carriers, substantially as specified.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto affixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

CALEB S. EVANS.

\Vitnesses:

GEO. WELLs SMITH, EDWARD G. REYNARD. 

